Radeon 8040S vs GeForce GTX 970

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The Radeon 8040S is positioned at rank #216 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon 8040S

#52

Radeon 8060S

MSRP: $800|Avg: $800

92%

#206

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

445%

#208

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

404%

#209

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

402%

#213

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

366%

#214

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

363%

#216

Radeon 8040S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

100%

#217

Radeon R7 +8G

MSRP: $49|Avg: $20

100%

#221

Radeon HD 6550A

MSRP: $30|Avg: $30

97%

#222

Maxwell GPU Surface Book (940M, GDDR5)

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

96%

#224

GeForce GT 640M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

93%

#228

GeForce GT 750M Mac Edition

MSRP: $149|Avg: $40

91%

#230

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

MSRP: $150|Avg: $75

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon 8040S is significantly newer (2025 vs 2014). The Radeon 8040S likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 970 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon 8040S is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.2% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 970.

Insight	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1.2%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.2%)
Longevity	RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	🎮 High Capacity (4 GB)	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (267mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 970 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $400 for the Radeon 8040S, it costs 88% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 690.5% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+690.5%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($400)	✅More affordable ($50)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon 8040S Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 970 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon 8040S and GeForce GTX 970

Radeon 8040S

The Radeon 8040S is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2800 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,756 points.

GeForce GTX 970

The GeForce GTX 970 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1050 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1664 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,640 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon 8040S scores 9,756 and the GeForce GTX 970 reaches 9,640 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 8040S is built on RDNA 3.5 while the GeForce GTX 970 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 4 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon 8040S) vs 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970). Raw compute: 5.734 TFLOPS (Radeon 8040S) vs 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970). Boost clocks: 2800 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
G3D Mark Score	9,756+1%	9,640
Architecture	RDNA 3.5	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	4 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	1664+63%
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.734 TFLOPS+46%	3.92 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2800 MHz+138%	1178 MHz
ROPs	32	56+75%
TMUs	64	104+63%
L2 Cache	8 MB+300%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: System vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 8 MB (Radeon 8040S) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 970) — the Radeon 8040S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	224 GB/s
Bus Width	System	256-bit
L2 Cache	8 MB+300%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (Radeon 8040S) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 (FL 12_1)
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 4.5 (Radeon 8040S) vs NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970). Decoder: VCN 4.5 vs PureVideo VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon 8040S) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970).

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
Encoder	VCN 4.5	NVENC 2nd gen
Decoder	VCN 4.5	PureVideo VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 8040S draws 55W versus the GeForce GTX 970's 150W — a 92.7% difference. The Radeon 8040S is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon 8040S) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 970). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
TDP	55W-63%	150W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	177.4+176%	64.3

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon 8040S launched at $400 MSRP and currently averages $400, while the GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 and now averages $50. The GeForce GTX 970 costs 87.5% less ($350 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 24.4 (Radeon 8040S) vs 192.8 (GeForce GTX 970) — the GeForce GTX 970 offers 690.2% better value. The Radeon 8040S is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon 8040S	GeForce GTX 970
MSRP	$400	$329-18%
Avg Price (30d)	$400	$50-88%
Performance per Dollar	24.4	192.8+690%
Codename	Strix Halo	GM204
Release	January 6 2025	September 19 2014
Ranking	#265	#269